Apparatus for treating essential oils



(No Model.) 3 Shets-Sheet 1. A. M. TODD.

I APPARATUS FOR TREATING E$SENTIAL OILS, 850.

No. 337,716. Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

' o. I 4 4E ally.

Dwmihr:

A I aziflTJbM. Q32

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2.

A. M. TODD. APPARATUS FOR TREATING ESSENTIAL OILS, &c. No. 337,716.Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

N. PETERS. PhallrLilhOgnpMr. wuhingxon. D. c.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Patented Mar. 9, 1886.

A. M. TODD.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ESSENTIAL OILS, &c.

(No Model.)

N, PETERS. Plmwumo n hu, Washmgicn, 01:.

Nrrnn firarns ATENT THCE.

ALBERT M. TODD, OF NOTTAXVA, MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING ESSENTIAL OILS, 84.0.

EEPECIFICATIQH forming part of Letters Patent No. 337,716, dated March9, 1886.

Application filed November 9, 1885. Serial No. 182,306. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. ToDD. a citizen of the United States,residing at Nottawa, in the county of St. Joseph, State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forTreating Essential Oils and other Substances, of which the following isa specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention relates to an apparatus for treating essential oils; and itconsists in the construction and arrangement of the parts, which will bemore fully hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

The essential feature of my invention consists in providing a metallicvessel to contain the substance to be operated upon, which is surroundedin whole or in part, or has connection with a refrigerating material insuch a manner that refrigeration of the contents of the said vessel toany required degree is rendered possible.

The object of my invention is to so con-- struct an apparatus forrevolving or separat- 1 essential oils into liquid and crystallized oroncrete form, so that they may be more ily handled for commercial usage,and made practically beneficial, said apparatus being simple andefficient in its construction, a d readily understood and operated. Iattain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, formi ng a part of this specification, wherein like letters ofreference indicate similar parts in the several views, and in whichFigure 1 is a perspective view of my apparatus partially broken away.Fig. 2 is a horizontal vertical sectional View of the said apparatus,illustrating the manner of using the refrigerating substance. Fig. 3 isa detail view in sectional elevation showing a modified form of theinternal refrigerating-tank and outer inclosing-vat, and Fig. i is adetail view in perspective of a centrifugal drying device.

In the drawings, A represents a metallic tin coated or lined tank inwhich oil to be oper ated upon is placed. A tank, A, of smaller'dimensions,is supported inside ofthe said containing-tank A, resting onthe bottom thereof by means of suitable feet. This smaller tank, A, hasaremovable cover, A and handles a a on the sides thereof, for removingsaid tank from the containing-tank A. The tank A is adapted to hold orbe fed with a suitable refrigerating substance, for purposes which willbe hereinafter described, The tank A is also provided with a removablecover, A which is conical in shape and, as illustrated, has con nectedto its apex a pipe, I); but it is obvious that this pipe may beconnected to any other portions of the said cover. The pipe 12 extendsvertically upward, and has an elbow formed therein, from whence the saidpipe extends in a horizontal direction and enters a .trap or tank, B,which is supported thereby. After entering the tank B the pipe I) againhas an elbow formed therein, from whence the pipe extends verticallydownward to near the bottom of the said tank. This tank B is formed atits lower part with a conical bottom, B, to the apex of which a pipe,I), is connected, which allows the said tank to be drained. The upperportion or top of the tank B is provided with a removable cover, 13*,which may be taken off to partially fill the tank with any suitablefluid. The upper side of the tank opposite the pipe I) is provided witha pipe, b which has a valve, if, having an escape pipe, If, situatedtherein. The lower side of the tank has also a pipe, b connectedtherewith, having a valve, 1), with an escape pipe, F. This latter valveis constructed so as to drain the fluid out of the tank, while theformer valve allows the air to escape therefrom. The pipe I) is alsoprovided with valves 1) and b, the valve 1) being situated at theoutside elbow, and has an escapepipe, b connected therewith, while thevalve 1)" is situated in the horizontal portion of the pipe 1) beyondthe elbow.

The bottom A of the tank A is formed in the shape of a cone, and has apipe, a, con nected to the apex thereof, which has a valve, a", the saidpipe and valve being adapted to drain the said tank. Connected to thesides of the tank A is a series of pipes, a a a, having cocks a a" (0*,which pipes are adapted to drain the said tank from different levelsthereof.

Surrounding the tank A is a vat, 0, having a drain-cock, 0 the pipesfrom the said tank passing to and through the outside of said vat. Thisvat may be supplied with any suitable refrigerating substance forkeeping the containing-tank A at a regulated temperature,acting inconjunction with the tank A to produce the desired refrigeration on thesubstance operated upon.

In the bottom of the inolosing-vat (J is placed a coil of pipe, 0',which is connected with a steam or hot-water supply, by which steam orhot water may be turned on at will when it is desired to obtain heatduring the operation of the apparatus. To prevent the backing of thewater in the coil just described and its consequent freezing, owing tothe action of the refrigerating substance in the vat O, the entrance endof the said coil is raised somewhat above the level of the coil, and theexit or draining end is lowered. By this means the condensed steam orcooled water which may stand therein is allowed to be forced out anddrained off, and thereby prevent the freezing of the same and burstingof the pipes of the coil. The entrance end of the coil of pipe isprovided with a cock, 0,

and the exit end thereof with a cock, 0, said' valves being beingadapted to regulate the entrance and eXit of the heating substance atwill.

In Fig. 3 a modified form of inner tank and outer inelosing-vat isillustrated. In this form I construct the said vessels with a coil orcoils of pipe, as 0 encircling the inside walls, into which a suitablefreezing mixture or gas may be conducted to cool or refrigerate the oilor substance which may be placed in the tank A. These coils havesuitable ingress and egress pipes provided with suitable cocks tocontrol the flow of said freezing mixture or as. g In Fig. 4anothermodification is illustrated. This device is adapted, after therefrigeration has been completed and partial isolation, to dry thecrystals and free them from any unsolidified oil which may still remainin contact therewith by placing the said crystals in the wire-gauzereceptacle A, which is revolved by suitable gearing, as G, and theaction of centrifugal force brought to bear upon the crystals,allowingthe oil to fly outwardly from the crystals, through the reticulations ofthe wire-gauze receptacle, and be caught and retained in a vessel, Awhich surrounds the said gauze receptacle, said vessel A acting also toretain any of the smaller crystals which may come through thereticulations of the gauze receptacle with the oil. These two vesselsjust described are encircled by another vessel, as seen in dotted lines,which may be the vat 0, containing a suitable refrigerating substance orprovided with a coil of pipe, as shown in Fig. 3, for the admission of acooling fluid or gas for keeping the crystals at a low degree oftemperature while being centrifugally operated upon. The gauzereceptacle is constructed with a gearing, as G, as heretoforedescribed,and has suitable bracerods 9 g, which support the shafts G,which are attached only to the top and bottom there- After havingpurified the essential oil by means of fractional distillation, it isallowed to cool down by being placed in any cool receptacle until itreaches the temperature of about 40 Fahrenheit. It is then poured intothe tank A and around the refrigerating-tank A, which has beenpreviously filled with a suitable refrigerating substance. The cover Ais placed on the said tank A, and'the outer vessel, 0, filled with orhas conducted into its pipes or coil a suitable freezing mixture or gas.These freezing-mixtures are in the proportion to the volume ofoil actedupon as in the ratio of six to onethatis, if I use salt and ice, I takeabout fifteen hundred pounds of ice and three hundred pounds of salt tosemi solidify or crystallize three hundred pounds of oil. The apparatusis thus left, being continually replenished with the freezing mixtureuntil a temperature of from 5 Fahrenheit above to 8 Fahrenheit belowzero is reached, when the oil will have changed into a semisolidorjelly-like mass and crystals be formed.

I havediscovered that the oil, when congealed to a jelly as abovedescribed, contains crystals, although not reallyapparent, but which maybe brought out and made to appear by draining off so much of the mass asstill remains in a fluid condition. In order to elfect such drainage,the cocks a a a in pipes a a a in the sides of tank A and valve a inpipe a in the bottom thereof are opened, beingclosed resistance, thevalve 1) in the elbow of pipe b is opened, admitting air, and the oilallowed slowly to drain off. This draining continues for a period ofabout three days, or until all the oil is drained therefrom, and at auniform temperature of from zero to 4 Fahrenheit. I also found that thedisplacing power of gravitation is admirably adapted to perform theisolating process, since the fluid portion is thereby removed throughthe medium of the faucets illustrated, and yet in so gentlea manner asnot to seriously disturb or disintegrate the delicatelyformed crystalswhich, being yet moist and imperfect, cannot offer a sufficientresistance to strong force or pressure, and by the ingress of air fromabove a vacuum is prevented from being formed and a conseto theisolation of the crystals by drainage the valve Z) in pipe I) is closed,as heretofore described, to prevent the outside warm air from enteringupon the surface of the cooled oil. When the isolating process begins,however, the said valve 1) is opened and the air gradually allowed toflow in through the short pipe b connected therewith, and fill the spacebe tween the surface of the crystals and the under surface of the cover,so as to prevent a vacuum being formed at this point as the oil isdrained out from the under surface of the crystals.

The third step of my process is to harden or perfect the crystals, whichmay be done in either one of two ways-viz: After such fluid portion hasescaped, or as much thereof as is likely to escape readily at or nearthe teniperature at which the separation was commenced, it is thenallowed from seven to fourteen days to gradually and slowly raise in temperatu re with renewed or continuous drainage until about 90 Fahrenheitis reached, a point at which the mass will not reliquefy. The crystalsare now allowed to stand at this test temperature until little or noneof the liquid will settle or dcposit,when they should be found dry andhard at ordinary temperatures, and the process may be pronouncedcompleted. Vhen the temperature is being raised, as heretoforedescribed, by suitable heating substance entering the coil of pipe C inthe bottom of the vat 0, there will be more or less vapor carrying oilpass up through the pipe I). The vapor passes through the said pipe I),through the valve b, and down into the tank B, and into the watercontained therein, which is at a comparatively low temperature. Thevapor will consequently be condensed and the water will take up thecondensed oil, which will rise and float on the top of the said water,and be collected when the water is drawn off; or, after such liquidportion is drained off, or all of it which seems likely to do so atabout the temperature at which the separation was commenced, as beforestated, the crystals are then fused by an application of warm water of atemperature of about Fahrenheit while the mass is still cold. It is thensubjected to a second congealing, crystallization, and isolation, as atfirst, and usually drying and perfecting them after thisrecrystallization, substantially as by the firstmentioned process. Bythis recrystallization greater solidity and compactness of the productis secured without compression.

For the purpose of drying the crystals, if desired, the apparatus shownin Fig. 4 may be used, in the manner heretofore described.

The apparatus I have illustrated and described is adapted for commercialmanufacture; but it is obvious that various forms and sizes of vesselscan be used at will with as equal efficiency as the ones described. Theresiduum or drained-off oil can be operated upon in like manner as whenit was first put into the apparatus, and with the same results.

Having thus described my invention, what I I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Let ters Patent, is

1. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential oils, the combination ofan oil-containing receptacle, a tank situated inside of said receptacle,and a rat surrounding the same on the outside, said inner and outervessels being adapted to be supplied or fed with a suitablerefrigerating substance, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential oils, the combination ofan oil containing receptacle having suitable drain-pipes, a tankremovably situated inside of said receptacle, a vat surroumling thesame, said inner and outer vessels being filled with a refrigeratingsubstance. and means for heating the device, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential oils, the combination ofan oil-containing receptacle having a removable cover, drainpipes havingvalves connected to the receptacle, a tank having a cover, and sidehandles removably situated within the receptacle, an outer vatsurrounding the oil-containing ves- Sci, and means for feeding the saidinner and outer vessels with a refrigerating substance, substantially asdescribed.

4. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential oils, the combination ofan oil-containing receptacle having a conical bottom, a drainpipeconnected to the apex of said bottom, a removable conical cover havingan air-pipe with suitable valves connected with the said cover, a trapcontaining water supported by the air-pipe, a tank removably situatedwithin the oil-containing receptacle, and a vat surrounding the outsidethereof, said inside and outside vessels being adapted to be fed with arefrigerating substance, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential oils, the combination ofan oil-containing receptacle having suitable drain-pipes in its sidesand bottom, an air pipe supporting a trap connected to the removablecover of said oilrcceptaele, an inside tank containing suitable means ofrefrigeration, a surrounding vat, also provided with refrigeratingappliances, and a coil of pipe in the bottom of said vat adapted to besupplied with a suitable heating substance, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential oils, the combination ofan oil-containing receptacle having suitable drain pipes in its sidesand bottom, an air-pipe connected to the top thereof having an elbowextending into and supporting a metallic vessel having a removable coverand containing water, suitable inlet and outlet pipes to said vessel,and an inelosing vat adapted to be supplied with a refrigeratingsubstance, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential oils, the combination ofan oil-containing receptacle having suitable drain-pipes in its 5 tankresting on the conical bottom of said 30 containing-receptacle havingsuitable handles wire-gauze vessel for catching the oil, and and aremovable top, a vat surrounding these suitable gearing and shafts towhich power is vessels, said inner tank and outer vat being applied forturning the said wire-gauze vessel adapted to be fed with arefrigerating snbat a desirable rate of speed, substantially'as- 1ostance by suitable means, and a heating-coil described. 5 lying in thebottom of the surrounding vat, 10. In an apparatus for crystallizingessenbeing fed with a suitable heating material, tial oils, thecombination of a containing-vessubstantially as described. sel, A,having suitable drain-pipes, a a a,

8. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential and internal tank, A,situated Within said 15 oils, the combination of an oil-containing tankcontaining-vessel A, and outer vat, 0, sur- 40 sides and in its conicalbottom, a removable cover therefor having an airpipe entering andsupporting a trap connected thereto, with suitable valves and anescape-pipe, an internal having suitable drain-pipes, an internal tankremovably situated inside of the containingtank, avat surrounding thesevessels, said internal and external vessels being provided with a coilof pipe supported on their inner walls and supplied with a suitablemixture or gas, and a coil in the bottom of the surrounding vat suppliedWith a heating substance, when desired, substantially as described.

9. In an apparatus for crystallizing essential oils, the combination,with a surrounding vat containing suitable refrigerating substance, of acentrifugal drying device consisting of a wire-gauze vessel in the formof an inverted. frustnm of a cone, a vessel surrounding this roundingvessels A A, and adapted to be fed with refrigerating material, and aheatingcoil, 0, in the bottom of said vat O, substantially as described.

In testi mony whereof I affix my signaturein 5 presence of twoWitnesses.

ALBERT M. TODD. Witnesses:

CHARLES S. HYER, EDWARD L. MILLs.

